| | | Running Aground
After passing the Waterford buoy I had about 25 miles of river to navigate to get to The KIng's Channel where I would anchor. Once the tide started to ebb Tramontana would not be able to progress against the current. There was no effective wind so I dropped the sails and increased the engine's revs. Under time pressure, the boat was managing six knots when she ran aground. It was not a shuddering, splintering halt, rather a firm, gentle deceleration as thick mud seized passing prey. I was utterly taken by surprise. Full astern achieved nothing. The photograph shows the view from my predicament. Possible salvation lay in the fact that the high tide line on the Quay had not been reached. The optimist in me reasoned there was half a metre of rise yet to come. The pessimist thought of Tramontana lying on her side in mud about to be swamped by an incoming fresh tide.
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